Long Trail IPA

I've realized that I'm not as in love with all IPAs equally and am trying to figure out what the differences are. A brief history on IPAs - they date back to the 1700s, when England was exporting ales to British troops stationed in India (starting to get it?). These English pale ales were infused with extra hops (a natural preservative) to help them survive the long voyage. And hence, a great beer type was born.

Right now I'm enjoying a Long Trail IPA from Long Trail Brewery out of Bridgewater Corners, VT. (I want to mention that I'm also watching a documentary on the Dave Matthews Band, which is, and has been for a long time, my favorite band. This night couldn't be any better!) It's an unfiltered beer, which means that the yeast hasn't been filtered out. Good news about this - yeast contains B vitamins, so there are those that think that unfiltered beers reduce hangovers. Sweet! Most beers are filtered to remove the yeast to give a clarity to the beer, but filtering does sacrifice some of the taste.

It's a good beer but I don't think I'd put it on my list of favorites. Too bad, since I bought a case of it. It doesn't seem quite as hoppy as I'd like it be. It has an ABV of 5.9%. I appreciate that, as most of the hoppy beers I like tend to have higher ABVs, which can led to some rough mornings. It's golden in color. It had a pretty good head but just seemed so much lighter than what I've come to expect from IPAs.

I would recommend this to someone who wanted to try an IPA that is lighter tasting (nice and refreshing in the summer!) and not overly hoppy.